Fix for Snow Leopard server seed 10a286 as a guest

[davidliu]

If you tried to create a Snow Leopard server virtual machine using Apple's latest seed 10a286, you know it will run into a quick kernel panic in the guest. We now have a fix internally, and would like to provide this to people who want to stay on the bleeding edge Here are the two files you need:

Make sure you have VMware Fusion 2.0.2 installed, and put both files in your /Library/Application\ Support/VMware\ Fusion/isoimages folder (replacing existing ones). You should be able to create a VM with Snow Leopard server seed 10a286 now.

Some usual warnings apply - this patch is not tested, not supported; it is not for use in production environment, and is provided only for people who desire to experiment with Snow Leopard guest. Please also grab this quickly because builds uploaded on our ftp server will be automatically wiped out after a week or so.

David Liu

Product Manager

VMware

Edit: added requirement of VMware Fusion 2.0.2.

[alexr_leftfield]

I'm still seeing a panic trying to create a VM.

Perhaps I don't understand things, but I don't see how an update VMWare Tools Installer can fix a panic long before an Installer can even run.

Can you walk through a procedure for creating a VM that works?

--edit

Wait, figured it out. Despite saying it was downloading directly into /Library/Application Support/... Safari put the files into ~/Downloads because even though I'm an admin user, I don't by default have write to the isoimages directory.

(And I found .hiddendir. Now I get it. Slick work.)

Message was edited by: alexr_leftfield

[blakeseely]

Both of these links are now broken - no files exist at those URLs?

[davidliu]

That's because the server removes files on weekly schedule. I just uploaded them. Pls try the same links again.

-David

[blakeseely]

Thanks - got the files. Still a panic when booting the install disc, though. I'm on one of the new Mac Pros, which is potentially the problem?

[Gudlyf]

I, too, have one of the new Mac Pros, and am getting the kernel panic. Incidentally, when I install Snow Leopard on the system directly (not in a VM), it installs but there are no network interfaces recognized. Maybe Snow Leopard's not ready for the new hardware at all?

[davidliu]

Thanks for reporting this. We reproduced this on the new Mac Pro inhouse, and are investigating. It only affects the new Mac Pro with Nehalem processor, not iMac or Mac Mini.

-David

[davidliu]

Okay guys, here is what Apple said about the Snow Leopard seed and new Mac Pro:

In the 10a286 Seed notes:

Known Issues

• We do not recommend installing this seed on the Nehalem Mac Pros.

FWIW, in the new 10a314 Snow Leopard seed, Apple did not mention this as a known issue. But we still see kernel panic with 10a314 as a guest on the Nehalem Mac Pro.

-David

[Gudlyf]

Thanks David. Are you guys actively working to get this to work? I'm just wondering if I should wait for your fix or bite the bullet and attempt to install 10a314 on a bare-metal system (which I'd rather not do right now). Thanks!

Keith

[davidliu]

Keith,

Yes, you bet we are working on this. But we cannot guarantee when the fix is ready.

-David

[davidliu]

The fix is in Fusion 2.0.3 now: .

[Gudlyf]

David -- Same error here. Do we need to place those replacement .iso files in this case too?

[davidliu]

Keith, my last post was not a directly reply to yours; it's just a heads up that 2.0.3 comes with the darwin.iso already and there is no more need to download them separately. The issues with latest 10.6 seeds on Nehalem Mac Pro still exist.

-David

[Milou]

I have VMWare Fusion 2.0.3 and still get the kernel panic with SnowLeopard server 10.6 (10a314) installation.

I converted the Apple server image from .dmg to .iso and changed the VM memory from 1GB to 2 GB to no avail.

(Using a MacBook Pro Unibody 15" 2.8 GHz / 4 GB / Mac OS 10.5.6)

Luca

[below]

I have mixed results. I could install a new machine after some attempts, but was unable to upgrade an existing 10a286 VM.

Alex

[below]

Fellow users, please see:

http://communities.vmware.com/message/1217306#1217306

Alex